LI-BE
LI-BE is an Italian engineering company founded in 1984 that designs and manufactures custom engineered bearings and motion solutions for machine tools, steel industry, and linear handling applications, serving global industrial customers through certified regional distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersArena Po, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What LI-BE does
LI-BE is an Italian engineering company, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Arena Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, that designs and manufactures custom engineered bearings and motion solutions for industrial applications. The company operates three named product lines: SEL Series super-precision bearings for machine tools, Steel Industry Bearings (including backup rolls for leveling machines and rolling mills), and Linear Handling Bearings for forklifts and material-handling equipment. Manufactured bearings span diameters from 20mm to 1250mm, with full in-house vertical integration from raw steel input to finished product.
The company's technical foundation rests on advanced non-linear Finite Element Analysis (FEM) and proprietary simulation software used for digital twin and virtual prototyping, enabling performance prediction before physical manufacturing. LI-BE is ISO 9001 certified and a member of CONFINDUSTRIA.
The business model is specialty industrial B2B manufacturing sold through a network of certified regional distributors across Spain, France, Brazil, India, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States, with a dedicated US operation branded RITBEARING covering three US locations. This distribution-led model provides international reach without the cost of owned foreign sales subsidiaries. The company is privately held as an Italian S.R.L. with a headcount of 11–50 employees. No financial disclosures, revenue figures, or customer concentration data are publicly available.
LI-BE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LI-BE
- Legal name
- LI-BE S.R.L.
- Website
- https://li-be.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LI-BE is an Italian engineering company founded in 1984 that designs and manufactures custom engineered bearings and motion solutions for machine tools, steel industry, and linear handling applications, serving global industrial customers through certified regional distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where LI-BE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arena Po
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
LI-BE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Engineered Bearings Sales: LI-BE designs and manufactures custom engineered bearings and motion solutions. Revenue is generated through the sale of specialized bearings to industrial customers in machine tools, steel industry, and linear handling sectors. Products include SEL series for machine tools, backup rolls for steel industry, and linear handling components.
- Engineering & Consulting Services: Technical consultancy services including co-engineering, virtual prototyping, and application analysis. These services support the bearing sales and provide additional revenue streams through technical analysis and optimization services.
- Life-cycle Services: After-sales support including diagnostics, on-site service, retrofits, reverse engineering, and application revamping services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom engineered bearing solutions - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels4 records
LI-BE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LI-BE designs and manufactures custom engineered bearings and motion solutions for industrial applications from its facility in Arena Po, Italy. The company produces three main product lines: SEL Series super-precision bearings for machine tools, Steel Industry bearings (backup rolls for leveling machines, rolling mill components), and Linear Handling bearings (forklifts, pulleys, guides). All production is performed in-house from raw steel to finished products, supported by proprietary FEM simulation and digital twin technology for performance prediction.
Product overview
LI-BE is a manufacturer of engineered bearings and motion solutions, operating since 1984 with a fully integrated production chain at its facility in Arena Po, Italy. The company offers three main product lines: the SEL Series of super-precision bearings for machine tools (including ball screw supports, rotary tables, and positioning systems), Steel Industry bearings (backup rolls for leveling machines, rolling mills, and hot rolling applications), and Linear Handling bearings (for forklifts, chain pulleys, and linear guides). LI-BE's product portfolio is complemented by engineering services including advanced FEM simulations, virtual prototyping, in-house manufacturing from raw steel to finished product, after-sales support, reverse engineering, and applications revamp. The company emphasizes technical cooperation with customers and engineering analyses that simulate actual operating conditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SEL Series: Super-precision bearings for machine tools including ball screw supports, rotary tables, tilting heads, targeting systems, and fine positioning systems.
Products and services
- SEL Series Super-Precision Bearings Super-precision bearings for machine tools, including ball screw supports, rotary tables, tilting heads, targeting systems, and fine positioning systems. Manufactured with sub-micron CMM quality control in a controlled atmosphere environment for high-precision applications.
- Steel Industry Bearings Specialized bearings for steel industry applications including backup rolls for leveling machines, tension leveling, scale breakers, Sendzimir rolling mills, and hot rolling applications. Designed for critical loads, high temperatures, and demanding operating conditions.
- Linear Handling Bearings Bearings for linear handling applications including radial and combined bearings for forklifts, chain pulleys, linear handling wheels, and guides with C and double T profiles. LI-BE was founded in 1984 in the linear handling sector where it introduced patented solutions.
- Engineering & Consulting Services Technical consultancy services including co-engineering, virtual prototyping, and application analysis using advanced non-linear FEM simulation and proprietary software. Supports bearing selection and optimization for specific customer applications.
- Life-cycle Services After-sales support including diagnostics, on-site service, retrofits, reverse engineering, and application revamping services to extend bearing life and performance.
Quantifiable outcome
- Optimized bearing performance, durability, and reliability through virtual prototyping before production
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use LI-BE
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LI-BE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
LI-BE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered regional partner and core partner.
- TECNOMECA-KIDELAN-DEXISregional partnerAgent and Distributor for Spain covering Basque Country, Navarra & Burgos region. Located at Políg. Ind. Itziar, Parcela J-1, 20829 Deba (Gipuzkoa), Spain. Contact: +34 943 199201.
- ArcInnov Technologiesregional partnerAuthorized Agent for France. Located at Site Novaciéries 53, rue Sibert, F-42400 Saint-Chamond, France. Contact: [email protected].
- Norberto Julio Augustin Davidsohnregional partnerDistributor for Brazil. Located at Alameda Rio Negro, 1030 - ap. 612, 06454-000 Alphaville, Barueri/SP, Brazil. Contact: [email protected].
- MAC Technologiesregional partnerAuthorized Distributor and Stockist for India. Located at 235, MAC Manor, 5th Cross, RMV 80 Feet Road, 2nd Stage, 2nd Block, Bangalore - 560 094, India.
- Engineered Bearing Corporationregional partnerAuthorized Dealer for South Korea. Located at #8-50, Palryong-Dong, Changwon City, Kyungnam 641-846, South Korea.
- TKS Metal Muhendislik Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketiregional partnerDistributor and Authorized Agent for Turkey. Located at Yenişakran Mah. Atatürk Cad. No:25/1-C, 35800 Aliağa / İzmir, Turkey. Contact: [email protected].
- IKDOR Group / Drishti Powertech LLPregional partnerDistributor and Authorized Dealer for India (Kolkata region). Located at Martin Burn Building, 1 - NO RN Mukherjee Road, Kolkata - 700 001, India.
- RITBEARINGregional partnerAuthorized Distributor for USA with multiple locations: Georgia (15151 Prater Drive, Covington, GA. 30014), Ohio (744 West Bagley Road, Berea, OH. 44017), California (235 Benjamin Drive, Unit # 103, Corona, CA. 92879).
- CONFINDUSTRIAcore partnerItalian industry association membership providing networking, representation, and industry visibility for LI-BE as an Italian manufacturing company.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LI-BE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SKF: World's largest bearing manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of ball, roller, and super-precision bearings across all industrial verticals. Directly comparable to LI-BE in machine tool and steel mill bearing applications, though SKF competes primarily on scale and catalog breadth rather than custom engineered solutions.
- Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG): Global automotive and industrial supplier with deep bearing portfolio (INA, FAG, Barden brands) including super-precision bearings for machine tools. Comparable to LI-BE in precision and steel industry bearing segments but operates at vastly larger scale across broader end markets.
- Timken: US-based engineered bearings and power transmission specialist with strong presence in steel, heavy industry, and precision applications. Direct overlap with LI-BE's steel mill and heavy industrial bearing portfolio.
- NSK Ltd. Japanese bearing manufacturer with significant super-precision bearing lines for machine tools and industrial machinery. Directly overlaps with LI-BE's SEL series in precision applications and with linear handling bearing offerings.
- NTN Corporation: Major Japanese bearing maker serving automotive, industrial machinery, and steel mill markets with engineered bearing solutions. Comparable to LI-BE across steel industry backup rolls and precision machine tool bearing segments.
- Nachi-Fujikoshi: Japanese manufacturer of bearings, cutting tools, and hydraulic equipment with industrial and specialty bearing lines serving machine tools and steel processing — directly comparable to LI-BE's industrial bearing portfolio.
- JTEKT Corporation (Koyo): Japanese bearing and steering systems manufacturer with substantial machine tool bearing lines. Comparable to LI-BE in super-precision machine tool and industrial bearing applications.
Direct peers
- Rodriguez GmbH: German specialty bearings and linear motion components manufacturer offering custom engineered bearing solutions for industrial applications. Directly comparable to LI-BE in linear handling and precision bearing segments.
- ISB Bearings: Italian bearing manufacturer offering a wide range of industrial bearings including custom and application-specific solutions for machine tools, steel, and material handling. Direct peer given shared Italian manufacturing base and overlapping end-market verticals.
- Franke Bearings: German specialty bearing manufacturer focused on wire race bearings and custom engineered bearing solutions for demanding applications. Highly comparable niche positioning to LI-BE's custom engineered approach, particularly in machine tool and linear handling applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LI-BE social profiles
Digital presenceLI-BE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
LI-BE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LI-BE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
LI-BE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LI-BE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LI-BE
What does LI-BE do?
LI-BE designs and manufactures custom engineered bearings and motion solutions for industrial applications from its facility in Arena Po, Italy. The company produces three main product lines: SEL Series super-precision bearings for machine tools, Steel Industry bearings (backup rolls for leveling machines, rolling mill components), and Linear Handling bearings (forklifts, pulleys, guides). All production is performed in-house from raw steel to finished products, supported by proprietary FEM simulation and digital twin technology for performance prediction.
Is LI-BE a public or private company?
LI-BE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was LI-BE founded?
LI-BE was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LI-BE based?
LI-BE is headquartered in Arena Po, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does LI-BE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Engineered Bearings Sales are the primary driver. The others are engineering & Consulting Services and life-cycle Services.
Who are LI-BE's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SKF, Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG), Timken, NSK Ltd., NTN Corporation, Nachi-Fujikoshi and JTEKT Corporation (Koyo). Direct peers are Rodriguez GmbH, ISB Bearings and Franke Bearings.
Does LI-BE have an API?
No public API is recorded for LI-BE.